1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display system and more particularly to a display system including an image forming apparatus including a display unit; a relay apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus by a relatively low-speed network; and a first and a second display apparatuses connected to the relay apparatus by a relatively high-speed network.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, there has been a demand for cooperation between an image forming apparatus having an operating panel mounted thereon and a remote panel such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a portable information terminal. Conventionally, for example, in a remote management apparatus for an image forming apparatus, an education system, a medical diagnostic imaging system, or the like, a system in which information is shared between a plurality of apparatuses connected to a network is proposed.
The following Document 1 discloses a remote education system configured by a management server connected to a communication network such as the Internet; and student terminals that download a viewer which is a viewing tool. In the remote education system, the content of a learning material saved in the management server is downloaded onto a student terminal to display the content on the screen of the student terminal through the viewer.
The following Document 2 discloses a method for remotely servicing a medical diagnostic imaging system. This method provides a shared computing environment for a remote computing system coupled to a medical diagnostic imaging system; and collaboratively interacts with the remote computing system via the shared computing environment to service the medical diagnostic imaging system.
The following Document 3 discloses a collaborative work support system capable of setting a collaborative work environment suitable for the role of operators of collaborative work. In the collaborative work support system, when a user operates an operating area of a shared application through a user interface, an operation event is sent to a shared management unit through a communication unit. The shared management unit passes the operation event to a shared level management unit. By referring to a shared level management table in a shared level storage unit, the shared level management unit determines, from the received operation event and a user's shared level, whether the operation for the operation event is allowed for the shared level. If, as a result of the determination, the operation is allowed, then the shared level management unit instructs the shared management unit to perform a process for the received operation event, and the shared management unit allows the shared application to process the operation event.
The following Document 4 discloses a synchronization control method in which, when a plurality of communication terminals participate in the same bidirectional communication service, synchronization control for minutely categorized individual communication functions, within a communication function and between communication functions is easily performed. In the synchronization control method, for individual communication functions which are means for transmitting information on an operation performed by a user of a communication terminal, whether to perform synchronization control which is control to perform an operation performed by a user of one communication terminal in synchronization with another communication terminal, within a communication function and between communication functions is individually set for each communication function.    Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication Laying-Open No. 2009-294625    Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication Laying-Open No. 2003-175011    Document 3: Japanese Patent Publication Laying-Open No. 8-287016    Document 4: Japanese Patent Publication Laying-Open No. 2005-208710 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,998)
In recent years, in a display system including an image forming apparatus, a remote panel function is proposed. The remote panel function is a function that allows a screen of an operating panel (operation screen) of the image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) to be displayed on a remote panel connected to the image forming apparatus by a network line such as the Internet, and allows the image forming apparatus to be operable on the remote panel through the Internet. According to the remote panel function, the image forming apparatus is operable from both of the operating panel of the image forming apparatus and the remote panel. When the remote panel function is used, the manufacturer or maintenance agency of the image forming apparatus can give a user guidance on operations or solve a problem occurring in the image forming apparatus, by operating the image forming apparatus on their remote panel while viewing a display screen of the operating panel of the image forming apparatus (user operation) on the remote panel. The conventional remote panel function is implemented by transmitting operation information accepted by the remote panel to the image forming apparatus via a network line and transmitting data of a display screen of the operating panel associated with the operation information from the image forming apparatus to the remote panel via the network line.
In recent image forming apparatuses, high performance of an operating panel has been advanced, and there are an apparatus capable of accepting multi-touch operation, an apparatus that displays animation when a button operation is accepted, and the like. When a high-performance operating panel is operated using the conventional remote panel function, the speed of an Internet line is often not sufficient for the amount of data (traffic) transmitted and received between an image forming apparatus and a remote panel, leading to a remarkable degradation of operation response.
Meanwhile, the technologies and functions of conventional image forming apparatuses such as MFPs are diversified. Thus, it is difficult for a person in charge at the manufacturer or maintenance agency of an image forming apparatus to thoroughly know all functions of the image forming apparatus by him/herself. When giving a user guidance on the operation of the image forming apparatus or solving a problem occurring in the image forming apparatus, there are more cases of handling such a situation by a plurality of persons in charge with different specialties. In these cases, while the plurality of persons in charge simultaneously view the operating panel of the image forming apparatus on their remote panels, the image forming apparatus is operated on their remote panels. As a result, there arises a need to transmit data from the image forming apparatus to each of the plurality of remote panels and transmit information on an operation input, a priority process, etc., from each remote panel to the image forming apparatus. This further increases the amount of data transmitted and received between the image forming apparatus and the remote panels, causing a further degradation of operation response.
FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically showing transmission and reception of data between an image forming apparatus and each remote panel in a conventional display system. Note that in FIG. 17 data transmitted and received between the image forming apparatus and each remote panel is indicated by dashed-line arrows.
With reference to FIG. 17, this display system is configured by a customer's network and a vendor's network connected to each other by the Internet. The customer's network includes an MFP (MFP panel) 1100 serving as an image forming apparatus. The vendor's network includes a relay server 1200 and remote panels (remote panel applications) 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c. Remote panels 1300a and 1300b are placed in a call center in the vendor, and remote panel 1300c is placed in a development department in the vendor. Relay server 1200 and remote panels (remote panel applications) 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c are connected to each other by an intranet.
The case is assumed in which MFP 1100 is operated while a plurality of persons in charge simultaneously view an operating panel of MFP 1100 on their remote panels 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c. In this case, every time the display screen of the operating panel is changed, data on the screen of the operating panel is transmitted from MFP 1100 to each of remote panels 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c via relay server 1200. On the other hand, when any of remote panels 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c performs an operation on the image forming apparatus, information on an operation input, etc., is transmitted from the remote panel to MFP 1100. As such, in the conventional technique, since a large amount of data is exchanged between MFP 1100 and each of remote panels 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c, a triple load is placed on MFP 1100 compared to the case in which MFP 1100 and one remote panel perform communication. Thus, the amount of communication in all network paths in the display system is tripled. In particular, the customer's network and the vendor's network are connected to each other by the Internet having a lower speed than the intranet. Hence, when a large amount of data is exchanged between the MFP 1100 included in the customer's network and the relay server 1200 included in the vendor's network, the response of communication therebetween degrades. As a result, operation response degrades in all network paths.